1. Field of the Disclosure
This specification relates to a dust collector for a vacuum cleaner, capable of separating and collecting dust from air introduced into the vacuum cleaner and easily discharging the collected dust through a multi-cyclonic method.
2. Background of the Disclosure
In general, a dust collector is an apparatus for collecting dust, such as hairs, dirt, and the like, contained in air using a cyclonic principle, and generally applied to vacuum cleaners.
To improve dust collecting efficiency, a multi-cyclone dust collector that a plurality of cyclones are connected is used in recent time.
Typically, the multi-cyclone dust collector includes an upstream cyclone and a downstream cyclone that is connected to the upstream cyclone and collects relatively small dust. Also, the downstream cyclone is often provided with a plurality of small cyclones.
Hereinafter, description will be given of a cyclone dust collector for a vacuum cleaner according to the related art.
The cyclone dust collector includes a first cyclone that primarily collects dust by sucking external polluted air, and a second cyclone that is connected to the first cyclone and secondarily collects fine dust. In a multi-cyclone type, the second cyclone is a set of a plurality of small cyclones.
The second cyclone corresponding to the plurality of small cyclones is installed along an outer circumference of the first cyclone. A first inlet through which external polluted air is introduced in a tangential direction is provided on a top of a first body of the first cyclone. A first outlet through which the air with the dust primarily separated therefrom is discharged toward the second cyclone is located approximately at a center in the first body of the first cyclone. The first outlet is typically formed in a cylindrical shape and has a structure with a lower portion open and an upper portion closed. In some cases, a filter is installed at the lower opening.
Meanwhile, the second cyclone corresponds to the plurality of small cyclones which are located along the outer circumference of the first cyclone. Of course, each second cyclone (i.e., each small cyclone) has a second inlet and a second outlet. Typically, a buffering space is defined between the first cyclone and the second cyclones, such that air drawn out of the first cyclone is introduced into the second cyclones via the buffering space. Also, a discharge space which communicates with the second outlets of the plurality of second cyclones is located at an upper part of the second cyclones. The air is externally discharged through a discharge pipe via the discharge space.
An operation of the related art multi-cyclone dust collector will now be described.
When a suction force generating element, for example, a suction fan of a vacuum cleaner is driven in response to an activation of the multi-cyclone dust collector, external polluted air is introduced into the first cyclone through the first inlet of the first cyclone. Here, the polluted air is introduced in a tangential direction, and orbits along an inner wall surface of the first body of the first cyclone. During the orbiting motion, dust is separated from the air by a centrifugal force.
Here, relatively heavy, large dust is collected on a bottom of the first cyclone, and small dust without being separated flows up while orbiting in the first cyclone and then is discharged through the first outlet.
Meanwhile, air containing fine dust, discharged from the first cyclone, is introduced into the second cyclones through the second inlets. Therefore, the fine dust is separated from the air again in the second cyclones, such that purified air is discharged to the outside sequentially through the second outlets, the discharge space and the discharge pipe.
However, the related art dust collector for the vacuum cleaner has the following problems.
When a filter is provided in the first cyclone, large dust, such as hairs, foreign materials and the like, has to be primarily filtered out by the filter and separated, and fine dust and air have to be introduced into the second cyclones through the filter. Afterwards, the fine dust is separated from the air in the second cyclones.
However, the large dust is stuck on the filter of the first cyclone and accordingly the filter fails to filter out and collect some of the large dust. Also, the dust stuck on the filter interferes with the flow of the fine dust. Consequently, the large dust and the fine dust are stuck and entangled on the filter.
Even when discharging dust by opening a cover of the dust collector, such dust stuck and entangled on the filter is uneasy to be separated from the filter. Also, the large dust stuck on the filter interferes with the flow of air, lowering overall efficiency of the vacuum cleaner.
Also, to externally discharge dust collected in the dust container, the first cyclone or a first or second dust storing unit should be individually detached from the dust collector, or a cover of the first cyclone or the first or second dust storing unit should be individually open. As a result, several processes are required for discharging the dust.